Electronic device



Feb. 27, 1934. c WEBER 1,949,383

ELECTRONIC DEVICE Filed Feb. 13 1930 Inventor.- Hamoid C. 4 6583,

Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE dustrialDevelopment Corporation,

Salem,

Mesa, a corporation of Maine Application February 13, 1930. Serial No.428,038

8Claima.

My invention, which relates to electronic devices having provision forcontrolling an electron stream, and which has among its objects theprovision of a non-thermionic device of this character suitable for useunder high-current, lowpotential electrical conditions, will be bestunderstood from the following description when read in the light of theaccompanying drawing of several modifications of the invention, thescope of the latter being more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is an elevation of an electronic device constructed according tothe invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a modified form of electronic device constructed according tothe invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the electronic device constructedaccording to Figs. 1 and 2 in a circuit for generating high-frequencyelectrical oscillations; and

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the electronic device constructedaccording to Figs. 1 and 2 connected for detecting high-frequency g5electrical oscillations.

It is known that if a body of relatively high specific conductivity ispositioned with one of its surfaces in very close proximity to thesurface of a body of relatively low specific conductivity,

and said bodies are connected to opposite terminals of a source ofelectromotive force, an electron fiow will occur from the good conductorto the poor conductor.

Apparently, a body of conductive material is 5 surrounded by a field ofelectrons, this field being of minute thickness, and the intensity ofthe field being a function of the specific conductivity of the body. Thenecessary distance between the surfaces of two bodies of differentspecific conductivity to cause an electron flow apparently is in theorder of that which will cause each body to be within the electron fieldof the other. Roughly speaking, under such conditions the bodies arealmost in physical contact, yet are insulated from each other by thedielectric substance between them.

Conveniently, for spacing the surfaces of the two bodies, one of thebodies may be a metal capable of being coated by chemical treatment witha sulphide, oxide, or other insulating compound of the metal to producean insulating film on its surface, say in the order of 0.00005 inch inthickness, while the other body may be a metal or compound of lessspecific conductivity than the first mentioned metal. As example;

of substances suitable, but without limitation thereto, the body ofrelatively high specific conductivity may be copper, and the body ofless specific conductivity copper oxide (CuO) the two bodies beingseparated by a copper sulphide film formed on the surface of the copper.Other examples are magnesium and copper oxide bodies separated by a filmof magnesium sulphide on the surface of the magnesium body, and silverand lead oxide with a surface of silver sulphide 05 on the silver.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, according to the presentinvention a disk 1 of material of relatively high specific conductivity,say copper with a film of copper sulphide formed on 7 its surface 3, maybe placed in abutting relation with the corresponding surface of a disk5 of copper oxide; the two bodies being held in assembled relation, andurged one toward the other, by a bow spring 7 or by other suitablemeans, which spring or means preferably is outside of the electron fieldin the space between the bodies. As shown. between the ends of thespring 7 and the respective bodies 1 and 5 are plates 9 of insulatingmaterial, as for example mica, while 30 between these plates and saidbodies are plates 11 of conductive material, the latter formed topresent terminal lugs 13 for connecting conductors to the two bodies. Asshown (Fig. 2), one of the bodies, say the body 5 of copper oxide, hasen- 5 graved on its surface which is in contact with the sulphide filmon the body 3, a spiral groove 15, in which groove is laid a conductor17, the latter being insulated from the two bodies, say by coating theconductor with a thin layer of go easily fused glass, insulating enamel,or other suitable insulation; and, when the two bodies are placedtogether, the conductor 17 then being substantially between the opposedsurfaces of the two bodies and therefore substantially in the g5electron field of said bodies, may be employed as an electron controlelement or grid.

In the modification of the invention shown by Fig. 3, two pairs ofbodies 1 and 5 are provided, the bodies of the right and left hand pairsbeing [no separated by the hereinbefore mentioned film and havingelectron control elements or grids between their opposed surfaces, whilethe two middle bodies 1 and 5 are in actual physical and electricalcontact. It will be understood that, 105 within limits, any desirednumber of bodies 1 and 5 may be employed, the result of increasing thenumber of bodies being to increase the potential of the electricalconditions under which it is necessary to operate the device.

Fig. schematically indicates the device of Figs. 1 and 2 connected forgenerating a highfrequency current. As shown, the bodies 1 and 5 areconnected in series with a battery 19 and an 6 inductance 21, the latterbeing in inductive relation to an inductance 23. Opposite ends of theinductance 23, as shown, are connected respectively to the electroncontrol element 17 and the body 5 of the electronic device, theparticular body of the latter to which the return from the inductance 23is made depending, if the return circuit is capable of conducting directcurrent, upon whether a positive or negative bias is desired on theelectron control element. If no bias is desired it will be understoodthat a blocking condenser may be placed in the return from theinductance 23. With the circuit according to Fig. 4, a high-frequencyoscillations will be set up in the inductances 21 and 23, the frequencyof which may be varied by means of a variable condenser 27 shuntedacross the terminals of the inductance 23. Herein the coil 28 ininductive relation to the inductance 21 may be connected into the inputcircuit of the system to be supplied with the high-frequencyoscillations generated.

It will be observed that, in the circuit shown by Fig. 4, the body 1 ofrelatively high specific conductivity and the body 5 of relatively lowspecific conductivity respectively form a cathode and anode, while theelectron control element 17 being in a circuit which is in inductiverelation to the circuit which includes said bodies causes an oscillatingcondition to be set up in a manner similar to that set up when aso-called three element vacuum tube is connected in a similar manner,the difference being that a three element vacuum tube, because of itshigh impedance, is necessarily limited to high-voltage, low-amperageconditions, say in the order of 150 to 400 volts at 50 milli-amperes,whereas the electronic device constructed according to the presentinvention has a low impedance permitting the amperage to be high and thevoltage low, as for example the battery 19 may be in the order of from 1to 25 volts, and the amperage in the order of from to 3 amperes.

In the arrangement schematically indicated by Fig. 5,'the electronicdevice is used as a so-called detector for high-frequency potentialsimpressed upon the electron control element 17. As shown, the positiveterminal of a battery 29 is connected to the body 5 of relatively lowspecific conductivity, while the other terminal of the battery isconnected to the body 1 of relatively high specific conductivity, so asto set up a variable or intermittent electron fiow from the body 1 tothe body 5, and a current flow from the body 5 to the body 1, when thecharge on electron control element 17 is varied or said element isintermittently charged and discharged. As shown, the electron controlelement 1'? is connected to one terminal of an inductance 31 whichherein constitutes the input for a modulated high-frequency source ofenergy. As shown, a so-called grid leak and condenser combination 33 isprovided for demodulating or rectifying the signal, it being understoodhowever that this effect may be accomplished in other suitable waysknown to the art with omission of the leak and condenser. A transformerprimary winding 35 in the battery 29 circuit is in inductive relation tothe secondary 37 of the transformer, the latter constituting the outputfor the detected amplified signal.

The necessary bias on the electron control element 1'7 may be secured byconnecting the return of the electron control circuit to either the body1 or body 5, depending on the voltage used and the rectificationdesired, or a so-called "C- battery" may be inserted in the grid circuitin the common manner. As shown, however, the return is made to themovable arm of a voltage divider 39 connected across the terminals ofthe battery 29.

By omission of the grid leak condenser combination 33 of Fig. 5, thecircuit schematically illustrated by said figure may be employed as anamplifier for high-frequency currents within either the so-called radioor voice ranges, any suitable voltage bias when desired or necessarybeing applied to the grid or control element by the use of theexpedients above mentioned, or in any other suitable way.

It will also be understood that the device may be used as an electricrelay, in which case the current flowing in a battery circuit in whichthe two bodies of different specific conductivity are connected inseries will respond to the potential impressed upon the electron controlelement.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to thematerials, constructions, or uses herein described, but that widedeviations from these may be made within the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. A device of the character described having, in combination,bodies of different specific conductivity positioned with surfaces insuch close proximity as to permit electron flow from the body of higherspecific conductivity to the body of lower specific conductivity andmeans substantially between the opposed surfaces of said bodies forimpressing electrical charges on the electron field in the space betweensaid surfaces.

2. A device of the character described having, in combination, bodies ofdifferent specific conductivity positioned with surfaces in such closeproximity as to permit electron fiow from the body of higher specificconductivity to the body of lower specific conductivity, and an electroncontrol element of conductive material substantially between saidsurfaces and insulated from said bodies.

3. A device of the character described having, in combination, bodies ofdifferent specific conductivity having surfaces separated by a film ofsubstance efiective to insulate one from the other and being in suchclose proximity as to permit electron fiow from the body of higherspecific conductivity to the body' of lower specific conductivity, and agrid-like conductor substantially between said surfaces and insulatedfrom said bodies.

4. A device of the character described having, in combination, a metalbody having a surface coated with a film of insulating material, a bodyof less specific conductivity than said metal body having a surfaceabutting with said film, and conductive means forming an electroncontrol element positioned substantially between said surfaces andinsulated from said bodies.

5. A device of the character described having, in combination, bodies ofdifferent specific conductivity positioned with surfaces in closeproximity, and an electron control element, one of said'surfaces beingrecessed for receiving said element.

6. A device of the character described having, in combination, bodies ofdifferent specific conductivity, one of said bodies being of metal andhaving a surface coated with an insulating film, the other body having asurface in contact with said film, means for holding said bodies inassembled relation under pressure effective to urge one body toward theother, a grid-like element of conductive material coated with aninsulating film, one of said surfaces being recessed for receiving saidelement.

7. A device of the character described having, in combination, bodies ofdifierent specific conductivity positioned with surfaces in closeproximity, one of said surfaces recessed to form a shallow spiralgroove, a conductor coiled within HAROLD C. WEBER.

